A method and apparatus for controlling a temperature of a microelectronic substrate. In one embodiment, the apparatus can include a substrate support configured to engage and support the microelectronic substrate. The apparatus can further include a temperature controller having one or more thermal links coupled directly with the substrate when the substrate is supported by the substrate support. The thermal links can maintain thermal contact with the substrate when the substrate is either stationary or mobile relative to the temperature controller. The temperature controller can heat or cool different portions of the substrate at different rates with one or more of several heat transfer devices, including liquid jets, gas jets, resistive electrical elements and/or thermoelectric elements.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An apparatus for controlling a temperature of a microelectronic substrate, the substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the apparatus comprising: a substrate support having at least one support surface for engaging and supporting the substrate; and a temperature controller positioned at least proximate to the substrate support, the temperature controller having a first thermal link coupled with a first portion of the substrate and a second thermal link coupled with a second portion of the substrate, the first and second thermal links being separately controllable for transferring heat to or from the first and second portions at different rates and wherein the first thermal link includes a first nozzle having a first orifice directed toward the first portion of the substrate and the second thermal link includes a second nozzle having a second orifice directed toward the second portion of the substrate; and a source of liquid coupled to the first and second nozzles, wherein the source of liquid includes a source of resist solvent.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the temperature controller is fixed relative to the substrate when the substrate is supported by the substrate support.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the substrate support is rotatable relative to the temperature controller to rotate the substrate relative to the temperature controller when the substrate is supported by the substrate support.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a liquid supply conduit having an opening for dispensing a liquid onto the substrate.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the liquid supply conduit is positioned adjacent the first surface of the substrate when the substrate is supported by the substrate support for disposing the liquid on the first surface, further wherein the first and second thermal links are positioned adjacent the second surface for transferring heat to or from the second surface.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a source of compressed gas coupled to the first and second nozzles.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the source of compressed gas includes a source of compressed air.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a manifold coupled to the first and second nozzles.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a liquid supply coupled to a liquid supply conduit, the conduit having an opening positioned proximate to the substrate support for disposing the liquid on the substrate, the liquid including at least one of a resist material, an antireflective coating material, and a developing solution.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first thermal link is coupled directly with the first portion of the substrate and the second thermal link is coupled directly with the second portion of the substrate.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first thermal link includes a first electrical element spaced apart from the first portion of the substrate and the second thermal link includes a second electrical element spaced apart from the second portion of the substrate.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the substrate support includes at least one standoff having an engaging surface for engaging the substrate, the engaging surface being spaced apart from the first and second electrical elements.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the first electrical element includes a first thermoelectric device and the second electrical element includes a second thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric devices configured to generate a heating effect when current is passed through the devices in a first direction and a cooling effect when current is passed through the devices in an opposite direction.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate support is rotatable about a rotation axis and the first thermal link is spaced apart from the rotation axis by a first distance and the second thermal link is spaced apart from the rotation axis by a second distance different than the first distance.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate support is rotatable about a rotation axis that extends through the first thermal link.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second thermal links are annular relative to an axis extending generally perpendicular to at least one of the first and second surfaces of the substrate.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second thermal links are concentric relative to an axis extending generally perpendicular to at least one of the first and second surfaces of the substrate.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first thermal link includes a heat source.
19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first thermal link includes a cooling source.
20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate support includes rotatable chuck for releasably engaging the substrate.
21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate support includes an upwardly facing bowl for retaining excess liquid that drips from the substrate.
22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the temperature controller includes a temperature sensor for monitoring at least one temperature of the substrate, further wherein the temperature sensor is coupled to the first and second thermal links to maintain the first and second portions of the substrate at approximately the same temperature.
23. An apparatus for controlling a temperature of a microelectronic substrate, the substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the apparatus comprising: a substrate support having an engaging surface positioned to support the substrate, the substrate support having an open portion adjacent the second surface of the substrate to allow direct thermal contact with the second surface; a liquid supply conduit having an opening positioned proximate to the substrate support for disposing a liquid on the substrate; a source of the liquid coupled to the liquid supply conduit, the source of liquid including at least one of a resist material, an antireflective coating material and a developing solution; and a temperature controller coupled to a source of gas, the temperature controller having at least one orifice proximate to the substrate support for directing a flow of the gas directly against the second surface of the substrate.
24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the engaging surface of the substrate support is rotatable relative to the orifice of the temperature controller to rotate the substrate relative to the orifice.
25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the orifice is a first orifice aligned with a first portion of the substrate, the source of gas having a second orifice aligned with a second portion of the substrate, the temperature controller being controllable to transfer heat at a first rate to or from the substrate through the first orifice, the temperature controller being controllable to transfer heat at a second rate to or from the substrate through the second orifice.
26. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the source of compressed gas includes a source of compressed air.
27. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the source of gas has a temperature less than a temperature of the substrate to cool the substrate.
28. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the source of gas has a temperature greater than a temperature of the substrate to heat the substrate.
29. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the substrate support is rotatable about a rotation axis and the first thermal link is spaced apart from the rotation axis by a first distance and the second thermal link is spaced apart from the rotation axis by a second distance different than the first distance.
30. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the substrate support includes a rotatable chuck for releasably engaging the substrate.
31. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the substrate support includes an upwardly facing bowl for retaining excess fluid that drips from the substrate.
32. An apparatus for controlling a temperature of a microelectronic substrate, the substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the apparatus comprising: a substrate support having at least one support surface for engaging and supporting the substrate; and a temperature controller positioned at least proximate to the substrate support, the temperature controller having a first thermal link coupled with a first portion of the substrate and a second thermal link coupled with a second portion of the substrate, the first and second thermal links being separately controllable for transferring heat to or from the first and second portions at different rates; and a liquid supply coupled to a liquid supply conduit, the conduit having an opening positioned proximate to the substrate support for disposing the liquid on the substrate, the liquid including at least one of a resist material, an antireflective coating material, and a developing solution.
33. The apparatus of claim 32 in the temperature controller is fixed relative to the substrate when the substrate is supported by the substrate support.
34. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein at least a portion of the substrate support is rotatable relative to the temperature controller to rotate the substrate relative to the temperature controller when the substrate is supported by the substrate support.
35. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the liquid supply conduit is positioned adjacent the first surface of the substrate when the substrate is supported by the substrate support for disposing the liquid on the first surface, further wherein the first and second thermal links are positioned adjacent the second surface for transferring heat to or from the second surface.
36. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the first thermal link includes a first nozzle having a first orifice directed toward the first portion of the substrate and the second thermal link includes a second nozzle having a second orifice directed toward the second portion of the substrate.
37. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising a source of compressed gas coupled to the first and second nozzles.
38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the source of compressed gas includes a source of compressed air.
39. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising a manifold coupled to the first and second nozzles.
40. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising a source of liquid coupled to the first and second nozzles.
41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the source of liquid includes a source of resist solvent.
42. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the first thermal link is coupled directly with the first portion of the substrate and the second thermal link is coupled directly with the second portion of the substrate.
43. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the first thermal link includes a first electrical element spaced apart from the first portion of the substrate and the second thermal link includes a second electrical element spaced apart from the second portion of the substrate.
44. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the substrate support includes at least one offset having an engaging surface for engaging the substrate, the engaging surface being spaced apart from the first and second electrical elements.
45. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the first electrical element includes a first thermoelectric device and the second electrical element includes a second thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric devices configured to generate a heating effect when current is passed through the devices in a first direction and a cooling effect when current is passed through the devices in an opposite direction.
46. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the substrate support is rotatable about a rotation axis and the first thermal link is spaced apart from the rotation axis by a first distance and the second thermal link is spaced apart from the rotation axis by a second distance different than the first distance.
47. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the substrate support is rotatable about a rotation axis that extends through the first thermal link.
48. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the first and second thermal links are annular relative to an axis extending generally perpendicular to at least one of the first and second surfaces of the substrate.
49. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the first and second thermal links are concentric relative to an axis extending generally perpendicular to at least one of the first and second surfaces of the substrate.
50. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the first thermal link includes a heat source.
51. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the first thermal link includes a cooling source.
52. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the substrate support includes rotatable chuck for releasably engaging the substrate.
53. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the substrate support includes an upwardly facing bowl for retaining excess fluid that drips from the substrate.
54. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the temperature controller includes a temperature sensor for monitoring at least one temperature of the substrate, further wherein the temperature sensor is coupled to the first and second thermal links to maintain the first and second portions of the substrate at approximately the same temperature.
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June 8, 1999
November 27, 2001
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